The new Fiat 500L
(ANSAmed) - BELGRADE, SEPTEMBER 19 - The new Fiat 500L car which has been produced since July at the Kragujevac plant in central Serbia was officially presented in a ceremony at the Italian embassy in Belgrade attended among others by the Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic and Economy and Finance Minister Mladjan Dinkic.
'The 500L is a great success for Serbia and the demonstration that it is possible to make great investments in our country', Dacic told guests at the gala. The prime minister added that Serbia is expecting 450 million euros in revenues from exports of the new model by the Turin-based Italian carmaker. 'We are extremely satisfied about the cooperation with Fiat which is a good partner, and Serbia can benefit from its experience', he said, adding that the investment will contribute 'to develop all of Serbia, Kragujevac and its region'.
Dinkic, the economy minister, also said Kragujevac Fiat is expecting to produce 30,000 500L models, with the official beginning of sales in Serbia kicking off on September 22.
In 2013, he added, Fiat Serbia wants to produce between 140-160,000 500L cars and plans revenues totalling 2 billion euros.
The host of the gala, Italian Ambassador to Serbia Armando Varricchio, stressed that Fiat is the foreign company which has made the most significant investment in Serbia so far, although about one hundred small and large Italian companies operate in the country.
'Fiat came here because it counts very much on Serbia's future as Italy maintains close economic ties with this country and continues to support with conviction its progress towards integration in the EU', said the ambassador.
Fiat's CEO Sergio Marchionne visited earlier this month the Kragujevac factory where the 500L is produced and presented it to the new Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic. Marchionne inaugurated the factory in April this year. (ANSAmed)
